Harassment is a scourge of society
DISGUST and alarm at the prevalence of sexual harassment in the film industry and politics has made headlines in recent weeks but we are kidding ourselves if we think that this is not a grave problem closer to home.
Famous individuals in Hollywood and Government will be rightly quaking in fear this weekend that they will soon be challenged over a lifetime of lewd comments and utterly inappropriate touching. The spectacle of public figures having to answer for how they abused their positions will hopefully encourage those who have been on the receiving end of harassment to step forward.
We will have reason to celebrate if the entertainment industry and democracy is cleaned up. But it will be a grave disappointment if culture change only takes place in these limited areas.
The world is plagued by people who are not famous but who are in positions of power and who prey on those around them. The suffering they cause blights the lives of probably millions of innocent people and we should not duck the challenge of stamping out such behaviour.
The testimonies of victims of sexually aggressive behaviour are horrifying. The vast, vast majority of men would be filled with rage and dismay if they learned that friends or family members had been targeted in such a cruel and exploitative way.
But even if they do not know of anyone in their immediate circle who is a victim of such harassment there is a good chance that somebody they love has suffered in this way.
The stories now becoming public demonstrate that too many people have had to put up with groping, unwanted propositioning, lewd remarks and other forms of abusive actions for far too long.
Psychologists and social scientists will debate why some people act in this loathsome way but there are at least two factors which may allow abuse to fester in a society.
First, a culture may tolerate open misogyny. In the worst cases it may be so prevalent that it is not recognised as such and predators feel free to act with a sense of entitlement.
Other societies may pay lip service to the ideal of mutual respect but routinely turn a blind eye to gross violations.
Second, institutions may miss chances to stop abuse, and thereby facilitate it. Organisations which fail to have robust safeguarding and reporting systems will be exploited by wretches intent on satisfying their sexual appetite regardless of the hurt this will cause.
Attention may be on the highprofile fields of politics and movies but such abuse of power can take place in a home, a school, a university, a business, the armed forces and the judiciary.
We can work to change attitudes and encourage courtesy, respect and kindness but women and men alike need to be protected from the despicable individuals who have plagued every generation and will continue to spread misery.
It is time to stop these bullies wherever they are found.